Arch Enemy – Deceivers
When bands as revered and consistent as Arch Enemy are more than 10 albums into a heralded career, it’s understandable that fans may expect little more than a solid set of anthems that doesn’t deviate too much from the norm. Deceivers lives up to its billing by delivering another solid effort, but with a few unexpected additions suchas the folk-tinged opulence of The Watcher and In The Eye Of The Storm’s power metal fusion. Not only does Deceivers earn its place in one of the most reliable discographies in modern metal, it does so by being among the bravest and most entertaining to date.
The Halo Effect – Days Of The Lost
Made up entirely of former members of In Flames, The Halo Effect are veterans of Sweden’s legendary Gothenburg sound scene. The debut album from these melodeath all-stars goes right back to the source with an enormity and vitality that more than matches the countless bands they’ve inspired. Sure, Days Of The Lost doesn’t reinvent the wheel, but when you helped write the playbook for one of metal’s most iconic sounds, it doesn’t need to.
Norma Jean – Deathrattle Sing For Me
Metalcore lifers Norma Jean’s ninth album Deathrattle Sing For Me balances their familiar sound with excursions into more unfamiliar territory, stepping out of their musical comfort zone in pursuit of progression. Chunky riffs are augmented by jarring samples, crackling electrical currents and peaceful synths at various points, though they remain conscious not to alienate their fiecely loyal fanbase. Pure, anguished poetry on all levels.
Hollywood Undead – Hotel Kalifornia
The eighth album from rap-rock quintet Hollywood Undead doesn’t stray far from familiar territory. However, rising homelessness and the cost of living crisis plaguing their native southern California casts a dark shadow over the upbeat nature of their music. The influence of producers Erik Ron (Panic! At The Disco), Andrew Migliore (Papa Roach) and Drew Fulk (Lil Wayne, Lil Peep) comes on radio-friendly gems like Go To War and Alone At The Top. An honest, confident and catchy album, albeit one with a dark undercurrent.
Carrion Vael – Abhorrent Obsessions
This Indiana melodic death five-piece draw from the serial killer well on their third album, setting it to a plethora of blastbeats, breakdowns and bludgeoning guitar lines. The band dabble with deathcore too, most notably during opener Wings Of Deliverance and Kentucky Fried Strangulation. Vocalist Travis Lawson is exceptional; his gutturals and shrieks are perfect for the gruesome subject matters at hand. A damned fine listen.
